Improvement in boats for duck-shooting



, low floating 4d] 'UNITEII) STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBER'I BoGLE, orRooky HALL, MARYLAND.

IHVIPROVEMENT IN BOATS FOR' DUCK-SHOOTING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 17,192, dated May 5,1857.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT BoGLE, of Rock Hall, in 'the county of Kentand State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Deep-SunkenBats or Batteries for Trailing and Shooting Ducks andother Water-Fowls; and I do hereby dec lare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a y part of this specification, in which-Figure l represents a perspective view of the boat or 4battery as fittedfor use. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section through thesame; vertical cross-section, partially broken away.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the several figures,denote like parts of the contrivance in all Aof them.

The nature of my invention relates to a boat or battery for trailing andshooting duck and other water-fowl, in which the gunner is secreted, aswell as the boat, and protectedV from the surrounding water, while hecan propel the boat toward the game by his feet and legs 'protrudingthrough the bottom thereof into gum-elastic or other ilexi blewater-proof leggins, as will be explained.

Io enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A represents a hull of a boat, of suicient buoyancy to float with thegunner and his equipments. 0n top of this hull is fixed a platform, B,which is about flush with the top of thepboat and iioats on thesurfaceof the water, and may be painted to imitate the color thereof, and onthis platform may be arranged the decoys C C C C, which are made torepresent the particular water-fowl which is being hunted or trailedfor. Tear the stern of the hull A are made two openings through thebottom of said hull, to the under side of which are fastened, so as tomake.

water-tight joints, leggins D D, into which the gunner places his legsand feet, while his body is in an inclined though comfortable posturewithin the hull, as seen in Fig. 2.

Over the top of the hull A is placed or stretched a piece of rubber orother waterproof cloth, a,having an opening-longitudiand Fig. 3represents al` nally through its center, and underneath the cloth a andthe opening in it a second piecek of similar water-proof material, c,which shields theopeni'ng in the upper covering, a, so that the userfrom the inside, when he de sires to see his progress toward the game,can push the inner cloth to one side and raise his head through theopening in the upper one. When he withdraws his head, the elasticity ofthe cloth causes it to return and again close up the opening, and thusno water can enter the hull. Around the gunwale of the boat or hull A,and on the platform B, close thereto, may be laid and fastened a stripof lead, e, which serves as ballast and also as a drip-piece to breakand turn backany water that may flow over said platform; but it is foundin practice that the platform will rise with the wave or ripple of thewater, so thatv very little of it passes on or over said platform.A Iffound desirable, an air buoy or chamber may be placed under the platformand around the 'top of the hull, so that the depth at which the batteryshall float when in use may be regulated at pleasure.

The gunner may propel the boat toward the game by his feet alone, or, asa simple and cheap` arrangement of auxiliary propeller, two paddles orblades, E E, may be suspended from the bottom of the boat by rods orchains f f, and to these rods may be connected a 'stirrup, z', throughwhich the feet may pass and rest on an arm or projection, fn, on theblades, so that said blades may be worked by the feet. Otherpropelling-instruments may be used and worked by the feet through atreadle; but these would involve some permanent fixtures underneath theyboat, which would prevent its free use in shallow Water. I do nottherefore specify any particular form or manner of propulsion other thanby the legs and feet of the gunner protruding through the bottom of theboat and into leggins secured to the boat and over said openings to keepout the water.y I

As additional security against the waves, and in more exposed positions,wings may be hinged to the sides and ends of the platform, made of lightmaterial which will float on the water and, rising them from flowingonto or over the platform; and to carry olf any Water that may flowover,

with the Waves, prevent mannegfhvereivn u l Having thus' fully described`the natue 'and object of my 4invention,wh'afjs I claim therein v i v 1as nemend desiretnseeureby LettersPatent, Witnesses: l v A v if1`,THos.H.-UPP1;RMAN,

